Combining smaller LEDs in larger tents

Indoor Lights & Ventilation
#1

Good Morning!!

I am on my 2nd and 3rd grows, both of which have larger LEDs (450W and 350W) that should be ok for the number of plants in those tents. As I learn and build confidence from my grows I want to increase the number of plants each tent holds. I have 8 more LED lights (200W or less) from my various indoor vegetable grows over the years.

I realize all lights are different in reality, but would it be useful to say take 3-200W similar lights and put all 3 in a tent to make 600W and therefore have more potential for production(more plants per run)? Or 6-100W to accomplish the same thing?

Ultimately I would love to get a higher end spider or mars hydro, but I would rather use what I have already if possible to keep my investment low.

I also intend on eventually building out a permanent grow room and not be restricted to tents. Then bigger better lights make more sense!

Any experience you have on combining lights is much appreciated.

Happy Growing!!!

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#2

I think the important metric is area with acceptable PAR or whatever measure. One honking light producing intense center and weak fringes would likely be outperformed by a well spaced array of six 100s evenly spaced above the same plants.

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#3

@Northcountryguy I just realized the 400w I am using now is just 4-100w arrays attached to an aluminum frame. I may mess around and make a Frankenstein array that will quadruple production and travel through time. :laughing:

Stay tuned…

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#4

This is what I’m saying. Despite whatever retail gimmickry is popular this week, in the end, it’s energy on the leaves ya need. Whatever it takes to
Iight em up without sautéed leaf works. My watchwords are always necessary and sufficient. Hint, my nursery box is running off a pair of dinky LED grow lights, the pair only draws something like 5 watts. But they’re directly above seedlings that are happily praying, or were when I shut the light off for the night. I’ve used my 100w main tent to support three seedlings before. Now I’m doing it with five watts about four inches above the leaves.

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#5

More lights, More ballast, More Heat!, (manual spacing for light dispersion and cheaper to replace would be the only + imo!) Edit: with those 100w lights, you could use them as side lighting to plump up your Nugz!, but that leads back to the beginning of what I wrote.

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#6

Use what you have. I mostly use the sun outside, but to start seeds, or force flower or keep over the winter I use two of these arrangements, from Home Depot and my basement, foil from the kitchen, maybe $12 each:

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In a box lined with foil. My plants like this just fine.

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